The present invention relates to a transferred electron device which can be operated at a constant temperature as ambient temperature varies. More specifically, the present invention relates to a transferred electron device with means for compensating variations in temperture.
In the past, changes in ambient or heat sink temperatures have had detrimental effects on the performance stability of transferred electron amplifiers and oscillators. Thermally induced changes in the bulk material of the active device often cause variations in power output or operating frequency and complications in the start-up or voltage breakdown of a transferred electron oscillator. As for the transferred electron amplifier, temperature changes cause problems in gain variations and loss of stabilization.
One means for solving problems caused by temperature changes was to place the transferred electron amplifier or oscillator in a temperature-controlled oven. However, this is practical in only a very few cases. When an oven can be used, there are still difficulties in that a tradeoff must be made in the design of the heat transfer medium between minimizing oven input power and the maximum temperature of the active device. When utilizing a low thermal conductivity medium, the oven power is conserved but the device temperature is higher which usually degrades performance and reliability of the electron transferred device.